Improved steering apparatus



. the rudder-head turns.

y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

'EDWARD EoWsE, or AUGUSTA, MAINE.

IMPROVED STEERING APPARATUS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 56,802, dated July 31, 1866.

To allwhom fit may concern: 4

Be it known that I, EDWARD RoWsE, of Augusta, Kennebec county, State of Maine, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Steering Apparatus; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which Will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part 'of this specin'cation, in which` Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section, and Fig. 2 is a top view, of my improvement in steering apparatus.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to certain improvements in that class of steeringapparatus in which Wheel-ropes or tackles are used in connection 'with a tiller and hand-Wheel Windlass, and whereby the wheel-ropes are kept taut at all parts ofthe stroke ofthe tiller, and the main objection to wheel-ropes or tackles thereby obviated, as hereinafter fully described.

A in the drawings represents the deck of a Ship. n is the rudder-badanti bis thermen G is the steeringwheel, which has a barrel or windlass, E, and is supported at its front by a pedestal, h, and at its rear end by having a bearing in a stud, d, which is pivoted in the top of the rudder-head and rotates therein as The end of the tiller is provided with a block having sheaves i i, Fig. 2, upon each side ofthe head of the tiller b. 7c 7c are pulley-blocks fixed to the deck A, and f j' are the Wheel-ropes. c is a rib which is fastened to the deck A, and in forni represents a segment of -a circle. The object of this segment or arc c e is to keep the standing parts 7 ff of the tackle or Wheel-ropes always in the same position, so that the Wheel-ropes ff do not become slack when the tiller is hard over to starboard or port7 or as the tiller-head carries the parts more in and out of line with the securing-points m m k 7c on the deck. In this case the part f of the tackle lies against the outside ofthe are or rib c, and the said rib c holds the said part f deflected at the same point always and obviates thefgreatly varying tension of Wheel-.ropes as ordinarily rigged and arranged.

As the tiller I) vibrates in4 either direction one of the sheaves 'i picks the standing partf of the tackle up off from the outer face of the rib c, While the opposite sheave i drops its standing part f'uponthe said outer face ofrib c, and vice versa.

By these means the Wheel-ropes are kept at a more uniform tension, and all tension and jerking motion ofthe tiller prevented, and the wheel-ropes are less liable to 'ride7 on the barrel E of the Wheel.` v

The defieoting arc or rib c c is used with equal facility with the apparatus and tiller in the rear of the rudder-head B as when ar-l ranged in front of the same, as shown.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The arrangement of the rib e, ropes j' f, sheaves it', tiller b, pulleys k, and rudder-head B, With its pivoted-stud d, operating, in combination With the Windlass E, in the mannerand for the purpose herein specified.

EDWARD ROWSE.

Witnesses:

D. M. WArr'r, FRED. P. LITGHEIELD. 

